The owner of downtown’s Phipps Building wants to send some of its key tenants packing, according to legal filings. Credit: Sanford Nowlin

The slugfest over the River Walk building that houses high-profile attorney Martin Phipps’ law firm and rooftop bar Paramour just took another brutal turn, the Express-News reports.

In a court filing, Phipps, who also owns Paramour, accused officials with CDC Enterprises — the Phipps Building’s owner — of hacking into the structure’s security system over the weekend and locking out tenants over unpaid rent, according to the daily.

Fort Worth-based CDC has been trying since January to evict Paramour, a popular spot for drag brunches that occupies the building’s top floor. In earlier court filings, the property owner accused the club’s ownership group of being months behind on rent.

The Express-News reports that both CDC and Phipps, a partner in law firm Phipps Ortiz Talafuse PLLC, filed emergency motions in separate courts Monday seeking temporary restraining orders.

Phipps Ortiz Talafuse, Paramour and three other ventures under Phipps’ control asked a federal judge to halt CDC from entering businesses inside the building and locking them out, according to the daily.

For its part, CDC asked a state District Court judge to block employees of both Phipps’ law firm and Paramour from entering the building until their rents have been paid in full.

Attorney Phipps, who represented Bexar County in its high-profile lawsuit against opioid manufacturers, sold the Phipps Building, 102 Ninth St., to CDC in late 2022 for $11 million, according to a contract submitted with court filings.

Stay tuned. And keep the popcorn handy.

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This article appears in May 1-14, 2024.

Sanford Nowlin is editor-in-chief of the San Antonio Current. He holds degrees from Trinity University and the University of Texas at San Antonio, and his work has been featured in Salon, Alternet, Creative...